Hair curler construction and case

ABSTRACT

A hair curling device having a coated steel spring covered by a perforate heat shrink plastic sleeve capable of being axially compressed by hand to a fraction of its fully extended size. Produced in varying diameters, rollers can be nested one within the other to be concentrically telescoped, then stored in a compartmentalized molded plastic case designed to maintain the rollers in the compressed position.

[451 Nov. 19, 1974 HAIR CURLER CONSTRUCTION AND CASlE [22] Filed: June 14, 1973 [2]] App]. No.: 370,131

[51] lint. C1 A4511 2/02 [58] Field 01 Search 132/39, 40, 42 R, 5, 9; 206/56 R, 16 R; 220/20, 4 E

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,772,744 8/1930 Barry 220/20 2,433,141 12/1947 McPherson i 132/40 2,598,943 6/1952 Solomon 132/42 R 3,079,933 3/1963 Solomon i H 132/42 R 3,109,439 11/1963 Broyles 132/9 3,417,760 12/1968 Silver 132/40 3,616,804 11/1971 Simoneaux 132/40 3,653,391 4/1972 Andrews 132/40 Primary Examiner-G. E. McNeill Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Townsend and Townsend [5 7 ABSTRACT A hair curling device having a coated steel spring covered by a perforate heat shrink plastic sleeve capable of being axially compressed by hand to a fraction of its fully extended size. Produced in varying diameters, rollers can be nested one within the other to be concentrically telescoped, then stored in a compartmentalized molded plastic case designed to maintain the rollers in the compressed position.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEL unv 1 91974 FIG 2 FIG FIG 6 FIG 5 FIG 4 HAIR CURLER CONSTRUCTION AND CASE Heretofore the primary emphasis in curler design has been functional improvement. Attention has focused mainly on components of curler core or surface which would produce the most satisfactory result. Hence curlers have advanced from steel springs covered by nylon mesh net to plastic core covered by pliable sponge, to unperforated plastic or aluminum cylinders.

While each model claims to possess unique functional ability, beauty operators and individuals have found that each performs essentially the same job that of converting wet or dry tendrils of straight hair into desired curls or waves according to how they are arranged on the scalp of the wearer.

Regardless of how successful curlers have become in performing their function, their respective designs have suffered from a common disadvantage: bulk. Rigid smooth surfaced aluminum or plastic curling cylinders currently in use are fabricated of such inflexible substance as to be virtually unbendable. While rigid cylinders might be stored one within the other to conserve space, no package exists to encourage such storage. The steel spring nylon mesh covered curler, while more easily compressible, cannot be telescoped because the outer covering, when compressed, is forced into the roller interior, occupying substantially all of the interior volume and thereby preventing rollers of smaller diameter from occupying the interior space.

There is nothing attractive about hair curlers either in or out of use. While their appearance can be excused for the cosmetic function they perform, once out of service either in the home or during travel, they lend nothing aesthetically, and serve only to consume space.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and effective hair curler which while in use would function to achieve a desired hair style, but which would be constructed of such materials that once out of use curlers of varying diameters could be placed one within the other, then compressed by hand to a fraction of their fully extended size, thereby offering the advantage of conserved space.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a case in association with the above curlers which would function both to maintain curlers in the compressed position and to contain these curling devices plus the clips, bobby pins and hair pins used to hold them in the hair in a more visually appealing package.

Other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the annexed drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art hair curler or roller of the type having nylon mesh disposed around an axially compressible spring shown in its fully extended position;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the prior art roller of FIG. 1

in its axially compressed condition showing the wiremesh occupying the interior volume of the spring;

FIG. 3 illustrates a group of three hair rollers conunoccupied interior volume.

FIG. 5 illustrates the three curlers of FIG. 3 in their unnested fully extended configuration;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a storage container for rollers constructed according to the present invention showing a group of three nested and axially compressed rollers occupying the upper shelf.

Referring now to the drawings with specific reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a hair roller of prior art design generally shown at 10 comprises a wire frame 12 in the form of a helix around which is disposed a covering of nylon mesh 14 which is supported by the frame 12 with sufficient radial rigidity to support the strands of hair which are wound around the roller. While the wire frame 12 is axially compressible to a lesser length, when this is attempted mesh 14 collapses both outwardly and inwardly occupying the interior volume of the frame cylinder as shown in FIG. 2. Thus this type of roller may be axially compressed in order to conserve space, however, there is no possibility of storing more than one roller in the same total volume.

In contrast, FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate the roller con-' struction of the present invention. Three rollers of varying diameter are shown in FIG. 3 in a nested and telescoped configuration. As discussed above this is not possible with devices of the prior art, since the interior space is fully occupied by the mesh covering when the roller is compressed. The rollers of the present invention, on the other hand, are based on a construction wherein the roller covering folds neatly when the supporting coil is compressed leaving the interior substantially free to receive rollers of smaller diameter. FIG. 5 depicts the rollers of FIG. 3 in their unnested, fully extended condition.

Three rollers generally designated at 20, 22 and 24 are shown as generally cylindrical curling devices of increasingly smaller diameter which may be character ized as, for example, large, medium and small. A typical roller has for its curl support a helical coil of steel wire 20a, 22 a, 24a which is sufficiently lightweight and resilient to permit axial compressibility by hand. The spring is preferably covered with a suitable protective coating, such as plastic enamel or the like, which will impede rusting and discoloration of the hair when used with water or varying wave lotions. Both ends of the coil are preferably flattened or close-wound to prevent the ends from hooking'into the hair or puncturing the plastic covering. As shown, the coils have respective diameters which permit nested insertion of one within the other.

Concentrically disposed about the outer peripheral surface of coils 20a 24a is a generally tubular sleeve 20b, 22b, 24b. The sleeve is made from clear heat shrink plastic, such as that available from Dow Chemical Corporation under the designation Shrink-Film! The sleeve is perforated in such a way as to permit circulation of air and evaporation of moisture in the hair. The sleeve is also flexible, pliable and of minute thickness relative to the diameter of the roller. The sleeve does not possess sufficient structural rigidity to support a rolled tress of hair alone, but, as best seen in FIG. 4, when the sleeve is shrink-fit around the helical wire frame, it is radially outwardly stretched by the coil and thus forms a pleated or accordion-like covering. The stretching of the film material provides it with radial rigidity sufficient to support the hair which may be maintained in position around the roller'by a bobby pin in the conventional manner.

As shown in FIG. 3, the two-piece curling unit collapses accordion-like in response to a compressive force but will not separate. Further, it has excellent shape regaining and retaining characteristics. Once compressive force is removed the hair curling device returns to its normal, fully extended position.

FIG. 6 illustrates a molded plastic container which is especially appropriate for storing curling devices constructed according to the present invention which may be nested and axially compressed The case 30 is of a cylindrical shape having an overall diameter which is slightly larger than that of the largest curler to be used. The case is hinged in such a way as to facilitate with ease the opening and closing of the container and is preferably provided with a pressure fastening to maintain it in a closed position.

The interior of case 30 includes two types of compartments. Vertically spaced, concentric horizontal shelves 32 having slight indentations in the frontal region are affixed to one side of the interior shell of case 30. These may be equidistantly positioned with sufficient spacing to maintain concentrically telescoped curlers in their totally collapsed position.

When the case is open, the curlers may be eased from the shelves and once freed, the curlers will automatically assume their fully extended functioning position.

Case 30 also includes a cylindrical bin 34 at the lower portion which is shaped to conform to the interior dimension of the ease. The bin is sealed at the bottom and open at the top and serves as storage space for bobby pins, hair clips, etc.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it will be understood that many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended that the foregoing description shall be deemed illustrative only and not construed in the limiting sense, the present invention being solely defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hair curler of the type having an axially compressible coil-wound resilient metal wire frame the improvement comprising a highly flexible, membraneous hair supporting sleeve shrink-fit conformed around the exterior of said frame so that each portion of the sleeve intermediate adjacent metal portions of the frame forms a smooth, slightly concave surface so that the sleeve is axially collapsible with said frame, said concave surfaces adapted to collapse inwardly to allow adjacent metal portions of said frame to be in near abutment and to provide an unoccupied region in the frame interior.

2. The hair curling device of claim 1 and wherein said sleeve is perforate.

3. The hair curling device of claim 1 and wherein said frame is covered with a sealant coating.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one additional curler of similar construction and increasingly smaller diameter adapted to be concentrically nested and mutually telescoped within the unoccupied region in the frame interior of the first curler.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a storage container of generally cylindrical shape having a plurality of axially spaced shelves suitable for receiving and maintaining nested rollers in an axially compressed condition, the axial spacing of said shelves being substantially equal to the compressed length of the nested curlers.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said container includes a storage area for hair clips, pins and similar articles.

7. A compact hair curling system comprising:

a plurality of sets of hair curlers, each hair curler of each set having an axially compressible coil-wound resilient wire metal frame and a membraneous hair supporting sleeve shrink-fit conformed around the exterior of the frame so that each portion of the sleeve intermediate adjacent metal portions of the frame forms a smooth, slightly concave surface so that the sleeve is axially collapsible with said frame, said concave surfaces adapted to collapse inwardly to allow adjacent metal portions of said frame to be in near abutment and to provide an unoccupied region in the frame interior, each said set including at least a larger hair curler and a relatively smaller hair curler, said smaller hair curler having an outer diameter of less than the inner diameter of the larger hair curler when said larger hair curler is fully axially compressed so that the smaller hair curler is adapted to nest within the larger hair curler even when said larger and said smaller hair curlers are fully compressed; semi-cylindrical storage container having an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the larger hair curler; plurality of vertically spaced concentric shelves mounted in said container, the vertical spacing of said shelves corresponding to the width of the hair curlers when fully compressed so that each set of hair curlers can be nested and compressed to fit between adjacent shelves in the container.

8. A hair curling system as recited in claim 7 and additionally comprising a semi-cylindrical cover complementary to the semi-cylindrical container, and means for hingeably attaching said cover to said container so that the hair curlers can easily be transported in a container occupying a minimum of volume. 

1. In a hair curler of the type having an axially compressible coil-wound resilient metal wire frame the improvement comprising a highly flexible, membraneous hair supporting sleeve shrink-fit conformed around the exterior of said frame so that each portion of the sleeve intermediate adjacent metal portions of the frame forms a smooth, slightly concave surface so that the sleeve is axially collapsible with said frame, said concave surfaces adapted to collapse inwardly to allow adjacent metal portions of said frame to be in near abutment and to provide an unoccupied region in the frame interior.
 2. The hair curling device of claim 1 and wherein said sleeve is perforate.
 3. The hair curling device of claim 1 and wherein said frame is covered with a sealant coating.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one additional curler of similar construction and increasingly smaller diameter adapted to be concentrically nested and mutually telescoped within the unoccupied region in the frame interior of the first curler.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a storage container of generally cylindrical shape having a plurality of axially spaced shelves suitable for receiving and maintaining nested rollers in an axially compressed condition, the axial spacing of said shelves being substantially equal to the compressed length of the nested curlers.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said container includes a storage area for hair clips, pins and similar articles.
 7. A compact hair curling system comprising: a plurality of sets of hair curlers, each hair curler of each set having an axially compressible coil-wound resilient wire metal frame and a membraneous hair supporting sleeve shrink-fit conformed around the exterior of the frame so that each portion of the sleeve intermediate adjacent metal portions of the frame forms a smooth, slightly concave surface so that the sleeve is axially collapsible with said frame, said concave surfaces adapted to collapse inwardly to allow adjacent metal portions of said frame to be in near abutment and to provide an unoccupied region in the frame interior, each said set including at least a larger hair curler and a relatively smaller hair curler, said smaller hair curler having an outer diameter of less than the inner diameter of the larger hair curler when said larger hair curler is fully axially compressed so that the smaller hair curler is adapted to nest within the larger hair curler even when said larger and said smaller hair curlers are fully compressed; a semi-cylindrical storage container having an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the larger hair curler; a plurality of vertically spaced concentric shelves mounted in said container, the vertical spacing of said shelves corresponding to the width of the hair curlers when fully compressed so that each set of hair curlers can be nested and compressed to fit between adjacent shelves in the container.
 8. A hair curling system as recited in claim 7 and additionally comprising a semi-cylindrical cover complementary to the semi-cylindrical container, and means for hingeably attaching said cover to said container so that the hair curlers can easily be transported in a container occupying a minimum of volume. 